What happened
The pilot of a cargo-carrying aircraft landed at the airport and, following air traffic control clearance, began taxiing toward the designated parking area. The selected taxi route required the aircraft to cross behind a transport category jet, identified as an MD-80, which was holding in position for takeoff.
While traversing this path, the cargo aircraft entered the wake turbulence generated by the jet's engines. The force of the exhaust pushed the nose of the cargo plane downward, resulting in the aircraft being forced onto its nose gear. This event caused significant damage to the front landing gear assembly and surrounding airframe components.
The investigation
Examination of the scene confirmed that the cargo aircraft had followed standard taxi procedures as cleared by air traffic control. The primary factor identified was the proximity of the smaller cargo plane to the larger jet during the hold-short phase. No mechanical failures were reported for either aircraft prior to the incident.